MOSCOW—President Vladimir Putin formally made Crimea part of Russia on Friday, even as the Kremlin sent contradictory signals on its willingness to hold off on retaliating against the West for its latest sanctions over the annexation.

The actions came as the new punitive measures imposed by Washington, followed Friday by expanded European sanctions, began to have an impact across Russia and beyond.

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Russian Lawmakers Shrug Off Sanctions

A new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia over its plans to annex Crimea were laughed off by lawmakers in Russia as President Vladimir Putin saw his position strengthen in recent poll ratings reports WSJ's Greg White.